Seeking to banish decades of despair, the Tigers will feature in their first grand final since the losing 1982 clash if they can topple Greater Western Sydney in a sell-out preliminary final at the MCG on Saturday.

The Tigers have retained the side that demolished Geelong in a qualifying final, and fine-tuned their preparation with a light run at Punt Rd before thousands of supporters on Friday.

They have embraced the hype that comes with being one of the most popular clubs in the nation, and it's now a matter of getting back to business against a Giants line-up laden with first-round draft picks, a pair of veterans who enjoyed the ultimate success elsewhere, and a former Tiger desperate for a flag in his first year at a new club.

"The game doesn't know what has happened in the past, it just continues to look at what you are going to bring this week. That's all we have firmly had our focus on this week, about what we can possibly bring to the game," Hardwick said.

"Even [the qualifying final] versus Geelong, is in the past. We can't even bank on that. We know what we do, we know our defensive template is very strong, if we play with great intent and work rate, that will keep us in good stead. If we don't bring the work rate and intent, we are beatable, like most other sides."

A key to the Tigers' fortunes will be whether small forwards Daniel Rioli, Jason Castagna and Dan Butler can maintain their ferocious pressure, ensuring the Tigers are able to lock the ball inside attacking 50. The Tigers recorded a season-high 209 pressure points against the Cats, according to Champion Data. The season average had been 181, highlighting how frenzied the Tigers had been. They would also boast 21-4 inside-50 tackles.

The Tigers and Giants split their results this year. The Tigers were shattered by their defeat at Spotless Stadium in round nine when a poor set-up from a Giants kick-in led to Jeremy Cameron booting the match-winning goal, but they had revenge in the wet in round 18 at the MCG.

That the Giants have won only once in 11 matches at the home of football since they joined the league in 2012 will give the Tigers' confidence, although Leon Cameron said the venue is irrelevant come the bounce of the ball. That shapes as a debatable point for the Tigers can expect more than 90,000 of the 95,000 fans at the ground to be on their side.

Hardwick said "every player had a degree of nerves" but suggested there was no difference between this game and round one.

"It's a big game, so is round one, round two. So the players certainly have an acceptance of that and have a good understanding of what gets them back into their key strengths area," he said.

The Tigers will hope the week off, their second in three weeks, will allow them to prosper. It hasn't been forgotten that the Giants and Cats, having won their qualifying finals last year, were beaten in the preliminary final in what was the first year of the pre-finals bye.

Hardwick said the Tigers had a strong record after byes and had followed a disciplined training program.

"Our boys had a pretty hard session on the Saturday and a little session [on Thursday] that got some intensity into their legs. We are very confident that we are well prepared. We think we are going to be fresh, we are going to be vibrant but, once again, until that ball bounces, we will have to wait and see," he said.

Considering how dismal the Tigers had been last season, Brett Deledio - set for his 250th match - would have thought it improbable he would face his former side should the Giants again have reached a preliminary final. But that is the reality of the situation, and Hardwick said he has plotted against Deledio like he would any opponent.

"Brett, although I have a bit of a soft spot for him, I obviously coached him for a long period of time, he is part of the opposition this week," he said.

The Giants boast what Hardwick said was an "elite" midfield, with Josh Kelly, Stephen Coniglio, Lachie Whitfield, Tom Scully and Dylan Shiel capable of tormenting opponents, as they did against the West Coast Eagles last week. The Tigers, however, were able to hold Kelly to 23 disposals when they last met.

"We certainly have plans in place if one of those [Giants] gets inherently out of control. We are prepared to back in our players. That is one of the elements of our game that we have worked incredibly hard on this year and the players have bought into. We will back our system in first and foremost," he said.

"Their [Giants] clearances numbers, their pre-clearance contested ball is through the roof, they are AFL No.1 by a long way. We have to make sure we contain that contest as best we can and limit their effectiveness from there."

Much has been made of the Tigers' dismal history since their last flag in 1980. Hardwick said his men could either look at it as an "obstacle or an opportunity".

"We are firmly looking at it as an opportunity, a chance to present ourselves on a big stage and play well," he said.